Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Thursday directed the Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA) to take steps to further reduce the lead time in public procurement from the current 54 days to accelerate the implementation of development projects.
He issued the directive while chairing the 4th meeting of the 10-member Governing Board of the BPPA at the authority's conference room on the Bangladesh Planning Commission campus, according to a press release.
The meeting was attended by State Minister for Planning and Senior Vice Chair of the Governing Board Md Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki, Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) Secretary and BPPA Vice Chair Shirajun Noor Chowdhury, and other board members.
Procurement lead time refers to the period between the invitation of tenders and the signing of contracts.
Commending the BPPA for its institutional development and procurement reforms, Khosru said the introduction of the electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system and other reforms reduced the procurement lead time from around 100 days to 54 days.
Describing the progress as encouraging, he said the timeframe should be reduced further to expedite project implementation.
The minister said delays in project execution hinder the government's development agenda, adding that a faster procurement process, backed by greater efficiency, competition, and transparency, will significantly improve project implementation and development outcomes.
As Chair of the BPPA Governing Board, he also stressed the need to increase competition and improve the quality of public procurement, saying stronger procurement performance will help ensure timely and effective implementation of government projects.
The minister said the activities of the Planning Ministry need to be revitalised and announced that he will work from the ministry's office at least one day every week to provide closer oversight of its activities.
Earlier, BPPA Chief Executive Officer and Member Secretary of the Governing Board SM Moin Uddin Ahmed made a presentation outlining the authority's establishment, organisational structure, statutory functions, progress of the e-GP system, ongoing projects, key challenges and future strategic priorities.
During the meeting, Khosru instructed the BPPA to expedite implementation of its ongoing modernisation project, ensure mandatory adoption of the e-GP system and digital signatures, and strengthen due diligence of firms participating in public procurement.
He also emphasised the appointment of competent project directors and the enhancement of their professional capacity to improve project implementation.
The minister further called for regular meetings of the BPPA Governing Board to strengthen oversight and ensure timely decision-making.